"PAUSE"

  • Sulaiman R. Khan [he/him/his/Disabled]
[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: On a royal purple background, there’s gold text with Sulaiman’s name and his website sulaimankhan.co is at the bottom of the image. Above in the centre, there's larger gold text above that reads: “You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down. –Toni Morrison” is written.]

WRITTEN 2 JANUARY 2020.



2 JANUARY 2020. Immensely Grateful, In Praise, and Faithful Forever for a Life Full of Blessings.

I am going into 2020 (and this decade) obeying this quote and giving up the shit to start soaring, becoming my true self for myself. As Toni Morrison best said: “You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.”

So, Happy New Year from here in London!

2019, you’ve been a blast yet a considerable challenge, but now I jump into the new year revaluing, resetting, and realigning my whole life to celebrate fully (and love) myself wholeheartedly. There are too many incredible experiences and people that made last year one big memorable blur to mention, so I say I’m profoundly grateful, thankful and appreciative of all the blessings and people of 2019.

With abundance and manifestation: 2020 (and decade), I’m ready for you! I’m not into resolutions, but I will live my full truth more every single day and transform through the discomfort. Patiently. Positively. Quietly. Boldly, wildly, fearlessly. I will do this via these four aims:

1) Self-love more —Last year, I learned there is nothing more important than me and my happiness (and wellbeing). Others’ happiness cannot come before mine anymore. The daily struggle with internalised ableism is real and extensive on my entire being. Still, with resilience and rebellion, I am working towards radical self-love, radical self-awareness, and radical acceptance every single day. I will further my ongoing unlearning (and relearning) and transforming I execute daily too, which I’ll keep doing to deepen stronger connections with people and create more “richness” in my life. My PERSONAL, PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, AND SPIRITUAL holistic wellbeing will be the focus for my future, as I cannot go forward if I’m not okay. Resting, recharging, replenishing, and restoring frequently will be vital in this ongoing process. And I’ve discovered that I’m alright that I am not for everyone. I’d rather be the niche pistachio ice-cream for my tribe than the boring vanilla ice-cream for everyone.

2) We got this —It is my responsibility to actively support (and be the best ally-in-progress I can be to) *all marginalised communities. This is especially the case to *all disabled Black women + disabled women of colour, disabled trans women and disabled non-binary people. As a Disabled AF, creative, active intersectional ally-in-progress, socially conscious entrepreneur, South Asian man, continual work-in-progress, this is my lifetime commitment, and I take it seriously.

3) Work, work, work, work, work, work — I will take my business ThisAbility Limited to the next level and cement its sustainability to be my legacy living beyond myself. I aim to form “Atomic Habits” to rise to the level of my structures not fall to the level of my goals, and I aim to be a “Company of One” to be better (and stay small) not bigger (and grow unnecessarily). Through ThisAbility, I will lead to pushing to keep destabilising the accepted narratives of creativity and disability (and be the best active intersectional ally-in-progress I can be) on my terms in 2020 and beyond. I will continue to do this the only way I know how: I will be generous with my love and share my positivity, sunshine and melanin magic.

AND 4) Fewer things, more life — I will not live my life with an ROI, rather in 2020 (and beyond), I will live my life with as I define it a “ROP” or “Return On Purpose: Investing in presence (myself), places, people, and purpose (mine and others). I will meet new people, learn new skills, visit new places around the world, read more, actively support those in need more, love myself wholeheartedly more, cut out the noise in my life, and have adventures lots more. Pausing, waiting, and being silent and still regularly will be my way forward. I’ll utilise this to send out radical vibrations to be an antenna giving (and receiving) good energy, love, kindness and positive thoughts from around the world that’s unconditional and unrestricted.

YƐn kɔ! In the Twi language from Ghana, this means “let’s go!”
“Do not follow the path. Go where there is no path to begin the trail.” — Ashanti proverb (Ghana).
ONWARDS and UPWARDS.

[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: On a royal purple background, there’s gold text with Sulaiman’s name and his website sulaimankhan.co is at the bottom of the image. Above in the centre, there’s larger gold text above that reads: “You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down. –Toni Morrison” is written.]

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Listening to “PAUSE” by Sophia Thakur